How and how to wash easier tape from glass?

Often washing glass tape from the glass is not easy. Especially if it is glued for a long time. And if the upper film can be pry off and removed, then the remaining strip of dried glue is problematic to remove. To choose the right means to remove adhesive tape or its traces, you need to know which solvents are suitable for which glue.

For different types of adhesive tape, different adhesive bases are used:

• packaging, including clerical, flesh or transparent colors - acrylic glue;
• paint (paper or crepe) - rubber;
• assembly (construction), including double-sided - acrylic.
• double-sided mounting tape on a foam basis (available in different colors) - acrylic or rubber.

Rubber glue is easier to remove. If you remove paper adhesive tape from the glass in time, then additional cleaning is not required. If a lot of time has passed, then additional funds will have to be applied here.

What products can not be used to clean glass?

Although glass is a material that is resistant to various chemicals, there are limitations to it. It is undesirable to heat it, which is often advised to do to remove old tape or to clear traces of it. If the heating is not uniform and the temperature is too high, the glass or mirror may simply burst. It is unrealistic to provide control over the heating temperature over the entire area at home.

The use of abrasives is also prohibited - soda, abrasive sponges or skins will leave scratches that give the surface a sloppy appearance. For the same reason, mechanical impact with sharp objects, wire brushes or scrapers is undesirable. The use of acetone or solvent 646 gives a bad result. They dissolve the adhesive base slightly, when washed, it spreads over a larger area, but is not completely removed.

How to remove masking tape?

Before removing the crepe that has been glued to the glass surface for a long time, it must be thoroughly moistened with hot water and left for some time. After moisture penetrates the adhesive (adhesive) layer, it is easy to remove the tape, as well as the remnants of glue. If any traces still remain, they can be erased with a clerical eraser.

If the tape was removed in a dry state, washing a strip of glue will be more problematic. The most effective composition for this will be a mixture of ethyl acetate and refined gasoline in a 1: 1 ratio. Good refined gasoline is found in gas stations for lighters, and ethyl acetate is sold in chemical stores. To clean the rubber glue, ready-made solvent R-5, R-4 and turpentine are also suitable.

If the adhesive tape was not glued for a very long time, then you can try to remove it with vegetable oil or drying oil.

• oil the problem area;
• wait 10-15 minutes;
• wipe with a cloth dipped in oil until the trace is completely removed;
• wash the glass or mirror with a degreaser.

Tip

When working with chemical compounds, take the necessary precautions.

Remove packing or mounting tape

It is much more difficult to remove packing, stationery or assembly tape from glass or a mirror than masking tape, because its base - film - does not allow solvents to pass to the adhesive layer. Here, first of all, you need to remove the base itself, picking up the corner with a sharp object. Sometimes it is impossible to do this, since the film is torn in small pieces. In this case, the method will work out, acting according to the proverb “wedge out wedge”:

• stick fresh tape over the removable adhesive tape;
• with pressing (slight) movements, walk along the entire length, leaving a small corner;
• tear off the adhesive tape with a sharp movement;
• repeat the procedure if necessary.

Thus, sometimes it is possible to immediately clear both the base and the trace of glue. But most often, glue can only be washed with the help of improvised means or special chemicals. The safest remedy that can be used without problems in the apartment is vegetable oil. However, with its help, acrylic glue is much more difficult to remove than traces of masking tape. You need to smear the area with oil, wait for the glue to swell, and then wipe it with a clean rag or napkin. Napkin must be dry. It is needed to mechanically wipe softened glue.

Which is better - gasoline or alcohol?

If the vegetable oil did not help get rid of the traces, you can try to wash them with oil products.

For these purposes, fit:

• "White Spirit";
• petrol;
• kerosene;
• solvent.

It must be remembered that these substances have a pronounced smell, so you need to provide ventilation in the room. The solvent, like similar petroleum products, dissolves well even frozen traces of rubber adhesives, but it has a rather weak effect on acrylic adhesive. Therefore, if one of these agents is tested and this does not give a positive result, it is necessary to move on to another group of solvents - organic alcohols.

To clean the scotch tape you can use:

• ethyl alcohol - medical or drinking;
• methyl alcohol - technical;
• alcohol-containing compounds - vodka, cologne, etc.

Glue can be washed as follows:

• Moisten a rag in alcohol;
• attach and fix it in the area with traces of glue;
• wait 10-15 minutes;
• Wipe off with a clean cloth.

Alkaline compounds

Polyacrylates (acrylic adhesives) are well removed by strippers - highly alkaline compounds. Glass can be tried to clean using both industrial and "home" tools. Laundry soap is a weak alkali, but if applied repeatedly, it can help layer-by-layer wash the cured adhesive from adhesive tape. This method is especially suitable for people who can not tolerate chemistry and strong odors.

A more powerful tool is caustic. A concentrated solution of caustic soda is applied to the glue and after the reaction begins (the glue becomes jelly-like), it is wiped off with a dry cloth. Alkaline toilet cleaners or dishwashing detergents with surfactant components can also help with traces of tape.

Special tools

Industrial enterprises produce special tools to help clean the tape. They come in the form of a liquid, spray or pencil. Only the ease of application depends on the form of release, this does not affect the efficiency of glue removal.

• Sticker remover - is on sale in all types - pencils, spray cans, liquid. Helps to get rid of glued paper tapes and stickers, traces of adhesive tapes on any basis. It is applied directly to the contamination.
• Kiehl tablefit from difficult to remove contaminants is produced in the form of a liquid with a spray. It is applied to a rag or napkin, which erases traces of glue.
• Stain remover "Taygeta S-405" - liquid in a bottle with a spray. It is applied to the remains of glue, acts after 15-30 seconds.
• FORMULA X-5 - a liquid solution, applied to masking tape or traces of glue for 10-15 minutes.
• Super CMF-240 from the company Chrysal is positioned as a "dirt separator." Glue traces are worse than previous ones, but for allergy sufferers it may be the only applicable remedy (from industrial compounds).
• Merida Impet - highly alkaline liquid to remove difficult to remove contaminants, including traces of glue. Applied to the glue, valid for 2 minutes.

What to choose?

To understand what tool to choose, you need to know what type of glue was used by tape manufacturers.Unfortunately, often this information is not available, especially when you need to clean the adhesive tape that has been pasted for a long time or by other people. Therefore, you have to act by trial and error. This article outlines the basic principles for removing glue and its types, depending on the type of tape. We hope this information will help you quickly and effectively get rid of pollution: remove the tape itself and wipe off traces of adhesive.